Active aero to be locked out at the Monaco Grand Prix

It is official: Active Aero will be completely absent from the streets of Monte Carlo. For the duration of the Monaco Grand Prix, the cars will be locked into their 'closed' cornering mode. It is a necessary move by the FIA, as the legendary street circuit simply lacks the straight-line room for these wings to function as intended.

Safety is the only driver here. The FIA mandates that any Straight Mode zone must last at least three seconds to be viable, and with the tight, twisty nature of Monaco, such zones are impossible. Beyond just the track geometry, the governing body carefully accounts for tyre grip margins and speed control into critical corners before approving these systems for use.

Thankfully, Overtake Mode remains active, though it comes with its own safety tweak. While drivers will still have the power to hunt for positions, they will be using a specific 'Rev 1' engine map. This limits the MGU-K power delivery, forcing a reduction in boost starting at 200 km/h rather than the usual 290 km/h. It is a fascinating, if restrictive, change to how these machines will behave on one of the world's most demanding tracks.